Architecture + Design

DLR Group

The new DLR Group Los Angeles office brings together employees that formerly officed in Santa Monica and Pasadena

DLR Group’s design celebrates identity as a central theme: the identity of Los Angeles as a City, DLR Group and its progressive place in the design industry, and the individuals who make up the eclectic group. To promote spatial equity, the office flips traditional hierarchy of workplace design inside out. The majority of hardwall spaces are clustered around the core, leaving the perimeter to desking and the coveted corners to shared spaces that alternatively cultivate escape and engagement.

These shared spaces include the “LA Love” café, featuring locally sourced materials, the “Library” for quiet focused work, the “Wellness Pod” for a biophilic escape, and the “FabLab,” serving as a Hacker and Maker space for experimental application.

In support of the diverse types of people working here, and in order to create an activity based workspace, the LA office is DLR Group’s first to formally organize around freedom of choice for “nomadic” workers. Workplace Identities including Global Nomads, Local Nomads, Host Residents, and Nested Residents span the spectrum of desking, storage, and specialized equipment needs. Surveying the staff revealed 50% self-identified as Nomads. Touchdown desks, Focus rooms, telephone booths, and the corner social spaces give these Nomads freedom of choice in where they do their best work when they are in the office. The only two private offices are designed with secure storage to enable use as a small group meeting space while the executives are traveling.